Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 16 September 2026
760. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of illness benefit claimants deemed unfit for work due to chronic migraine, based on the latest data available to his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [64606/26]
View answerIllness Benefit is the primary short term income support provided by my department to those who are unable to work due to illness of any type and who are covered by social insurance. Eligibility for Illness Benefit depends on the person’s PRSI record and class. The person must have made the required number of contributions under class A, E, H or P to qualify.
One of the criteria for payment of Illness Benefit is that an individual submits a medical certificate completed by their doctor. An individual’s doctor can complete their Certificate of Incapacity for Work electronically. If their certificate has not been submitted electronically, they can submit a paper copy to accompany their Illness Benefit application. This Certificate of Incapacity for Work completed by the individual’s doctor outlines the nature of their illness or certifies incapacity.
ICD-10 is the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), a medical classification list by the World Health Organisation (WHO). An individual’s doctor submits an ICD-10 code on the Certificate of Incapacity for Work when submitting to the department. Chronic migraine is not a specific Illness listed under the International Classification of Diseases (ICD10).
However, of the 54,299 Illness Benefit claims that are currently awarded and in payment, there are 288 individuals with associated migraine related illness codes. The below table outlines the individual ICD-10 codes assigned to current awarded and paying Illness Benefit claims, that are associated with migraine related illnesses. The table also outlines the number of claims in each category.
|
ICD-10 Code |
ICD-10 Description |
Number of Customers |
|
G43 |
Migraine |
125 |
|
G43.0 |
Migraine without aura [common migraine] |
11 |
|
G43.1 |
Migraine with aura [classical migraine] |
9 |
|
G43.3 |
Complicated migraine |
28 |
|
G43.8 |
Other migraine |
5 |
|
G43.9 |
Migraine, unspecified |
110 |
